Ajuga plant named ‘Petpar’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of Ajuga plant named ‘Petpar’ that is characterized by its unique blend of foliage colors; new growth that is emerges light copper then turns into soft yellow-tan as it ages with contrasting leaf veins that are copper in color, its winter foliage that is copper-bronze in color, its vigorous growth habit, its cobalt blue flowers that bloom in late spring, and its high resistance to sun scorch and ability to thrive in full sun in the summer in Michigan.

Botanical classification: Ajuga reptans x Ajuga tenorii.

Variety denomination: ‘Petpar’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Community Plant VarietyOffice (CPVO) Plant Breeder's Rights Application No. 2021/3444 filed onDec. 23, 2021, under 35 U.S.C. 119(f), the entire contents of which isincorporated by reference herein. This application is co-pending withU.S. Plant Patent Applications filed for a plant derived from the samebreeding program that are entitled Ajuga Plant Named ‘Fanfin’ (U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 17/687,273) and Ajuga Plant Named‘Corcan’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 17/687,232).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ajuga ofhybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘Petpar’. ‘Petpar’ represents a new cultivar of Ajuga, an herbaceousperennial grown for landscape use.

The new Invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program inHudsonville, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to developnew cultivars of Ajugas with unique foliage coloration, different leafsizes and strong clump forming growth habits.

The new cultivar arose from a controlled cross made by the Inventor inMarch of 2019 between an unnamed and unpatented plant of Ajuga reptanswith gold foliage as the female parent and Ajuga tenorii ‘ChocolateChip’ (not patented). The Inventor selected ‘Petpar’ as a single uniqueplant from amongst the seedlings of the above cross in May of 2020.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemtip cuttings in June of 2020 in Hudsonville, Mich. Propagation by stemtip cuttings and division has determined the characteristics to bestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Petpar’ as a unique cultivar of Ajuga.

-   1. ‘Petpar’ exhibits a unique blend of foliage colors; new growth    that is emerges light copper then turns into soft yellow-tan as it    ages with contrasting leaf veins that are copper in color.-   2. ‘Petpar’ exhibits winter foliage that is copper-bronze in color.-   3. ‘Petpar’ exhibits a vigorous growth habit.-   4. ‘Petpar’ exhibits cobalt blue flowers that bloom in late spring.-   5. ‘Petpar’ exhibits a high resistance to sun scorch and thrives in    full sun in the summer.

The female parent plant of ‘Petpar’ differs from ‘Petpar’ in havingleaves that are much larger in size, flowers that are pink in color,young leaves that are yellow in color, and a larger plant size. The maleparent plant of ‘Petpar’ differs from ‘Petpar’ in having foliage that ispurple in color. ‘Petpar’ can be most closely compared to Ajuga tenoriicultivar ‘Mint Chip’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,734 Ajuga ‘Fanfin’, andAjuga ‘Corcan’. ‘Mint Chip’ is similar to ‘Petpar’ in having flowersthat are blue in color and a similar leaf shape and size. ‘Mint Chip’differs from ‘Petpar’ in having foliage that is green in color. ‘Fanfin’is similar to ‘Petpar’ in having flowers that are blue in color, agroundcover growth habit, and multi-colored foliage. ‘Fanfin’ differsfrom ‘Petpar’ in having tri-color foliage with yellow, apricot andburgundy coloration and leaves that are larger, longer and more linearin shape ‘Corcan’ is similar to ‘Petpar’ in having flowers that are bluein color. ‘Corcan’ differs from ‘Petpar’ in having yellow foliage.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR

The Applicant asserts that no publications or advertisements relating tosales, offers for sale, or public distribution occurred more than oneyear prior to the effective filing date of this application. Anyinformation about the claimed plant would have been obtained from adirect or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. The Applicant claims aprior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/orsales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to theeffective filing date. Disclosures include but are not limited towebsite publications by Jung Seed, Growing Colors, Garden SolutionsPlants, Sugar Creek Gardens, Great Garden Plants, Pahls, Plant Delights,Wilson Bros Gardens, Gateway Gardens, In the Country Garden and Gifts,White House Perennials, Winter Green House, Bloomin Designs, FallerLandscape, Garden Center Point, Mountain Crest Gardens Blue Sky Nursery,Roots Rhizomes, Floral Acres, Garden Center Ohio, Mary Snoddy, CampbellsNursery, Libellules Creations, Garden, Quality Cuttings, Pinterest, BlueSky Nursery, Shop Bedners, Emerisa, Plant Central, Rideau WoodlandRamble, Masty Young Plants, George Weigel, Honeymoon Acres, Terra NovaNurseries, Green Profit, Bot Garden, Rotary Botanical Gardens, AmsterdamGreen Houses, Germania Seed, Greenland Garden, Preen, Evergreen NurseryInc, Sticks and Stones Garden, You Tube, Phoenix Neo Codes of Software,Peconic River Herb Farm, Groffs Plant Farm, Bakers Acres Greenhouse,Shopewdell, Plant Care Today, Pleasant Run Nursery, North Shore PlantClub, Bill Moore Co, SVGPlants, Christensen Plant Center, Right PlantPlace, Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Facebook, IRP-CDN-Multiscreensite,ehrnet, Zyromski, Etsy, Sherwood-Forests, ifcs, Fairfax County, BeStrong Physio, and Decommunicacio.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance anddistinct characteristics of the new Ajuga as grown in a greenhouse inHudsonville, Mich.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a top view of a 1-year-old plant of‘Petpar’ as grown in a 1-quart container.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the inflorescencesof an 8-month-old plant of ‘Petpar’ as grown in a 10-inch container.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of a2-year-old plant of ‘Petpar’ as grown in a 1-quart container.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Ajuga.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 6-month-old plants of the newAjuga as grown in 4-inch containers in a greenhouse in Hudsonville,Mich. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations inenvironmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2015 Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England, except where general color termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—4 to 6 weeks in late spring into summer in            Michigan.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Dense, groundcover, compact upright            inflorescences.        -   Height and spread.—10 cm in height (soil level to top of            floral plane), an average of 8 cm in height (soil level to            top of foliar plane) and 13 cm in width, mature plant in the            landscape reaches an average of 10 cm in height and 46 cm in            spread.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 8.        -   Diseases and pests.—Plants have been observed to be disease            free, however no resistance to any specific diseases is            known, no resistance or susceptibility to pests has been            observed.        -   Root description.—Fine and fibrous, a blend of 158A and            NN155A in color.        -   Propagation type.—Tip stem cuttings and division.        -   Root development.—An unrooted stem cutting will fully root            in a 50-cell plug in 8 weeks and a 50-cell plug will fully            root in a 1-gallon container in 10 weeks.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes of leaves from rhizomes.        -   Stolons.—Average of 3 mm in diameter, 159A in color,            indeterminate length.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Spatulate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Truncate to base of rhizome.        -   Leaf apex.—Broadly acute to rounded.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, matches surface colors, main vein on            upper surface 145C.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire to slightly undulate.        -   Leaf attachment and arrangement.—Whorled, held in clumps.        -   Leaf orientation.—Emerge upright and then slightly outward.        -   Leaf surface.—Very finely puberulent and slightly rough to            the touch on upper and lower surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 137A, base N144A, young            lower surface; 138B, mature upper surface; 144A, flushed            with 183A, mature lower surface; 138B, flushed with a blend            of 185A and 186A, peduncle leaves; upper and lower surface            base 145C, center, margins and top 183A and 184A, winter; a            blend of 164A, 183A and 138B.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 8 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 30 in a 4-inch container.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Verticillaster, terminal spike,            individual flowers in clusters held in leaf-axils.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 4 cm in height and 2.5 cm            in width.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—10 to 14 days, self-cleaning.        -   Inflorescence number.—50 to 70 blooms as a fully mature            plant grown in a 1-gallon container.        -   Flower type.—Labiate.        -   Flower number.—Average of 15 per inflorescence.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower buds.—Oblanceolate in shape, average of 3 mm in            length and 2 mm in diameter, color; 145A, immature calyx            145C, surface matte and densely covered with soft woolly            pubescence up to 2 mm in length, 145A in color.        -   Flower size.—Average of 1.5 cm in depth, 8 mm in diameter,            throat 2 mm in diameter, tube 5 mm in length and 1 mm in            diameter.        -   Peduncles.—An average of 6 cm in length, 2 mm in diameter,            vertical angle, moderately strong, color; 145C, surface is            glossy and sparsely covered with very short hairs that match            surface color.        -   Calyx.—Rotate and tubular in shape, 2 mm in length and            diameter.        -   Sepals.—5, 50% fused at base, average of 1.5 mm in length, 1            mm in width, ovate in shape, apex acute, entire margins,            surface is covered with long woolly hairs matching surface            color, color inner and outer surface 145A.        -   Petals.—50% of petals fused into tube, upper central lobe;            notched, average of 6 mm in length, 6 mm in width, blunt and            rounded in shape, obtuse apex, entire margins with no            undulation, upper and lower surface glabrous and slightly            glossy, color; upper surface when opening and fully open            97A, veins N92C, lower surface when opening and fully open            97C, outer lobes; 2, average of 4 mm in length and 2 mm in            width, oblanceolate in shape, apex is obtuse, entire margins            with no undulation, upper and lower surface glabrous and            slightly glossy, color; upper surface when opening and fully            open 97A, veins N92C, flower throat and tube; outer surface            covered with woolly soft pubescence, inner surface is smooth            and glabrous, color; inner and outer surface when opening            and fully open NN155D.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—1, style; 6 mm in length, NN155D in color, stigma;            non-distinguishable, ovary; oblong, 1 mm in length and            width, NN155D in color.        -   Stamens.—4, filament; implanted into flower tube, average of            4 mm in length, NN155D in color, anthers; minute, 0.05 mm in            diameter, 203A in color, pollen; none observed.        -   Fruit.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed to            date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Ajuga plant named‘Petpar’ as described and illustrated herein.